---
title: "Dare County Animal Shelter Numbers and Spay/Neuter Help"
description: "Dare County shelters took in 1,089 dogs and cats in 2025 and euthanized 6.4%. Find low-cost spay/neuter, your legislators and the petition."
url: https://ncpetproject.org/counties/dare/
---
# Dare County animal shelters and spay/neuter
Where Dare County stands on the petition, what its shelters reported for 2025, who represents it in the NC General Assembly and where to find low-cost spay/neuter.
By signatures
#
Per 10,000 residents
#
Signatures
[See the full leaderboard](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/#county-leaderboard)
[Sign for Dare County](#sign)
## Sign for Dare County
Your signature counts for Dare on the county leaderboard.
Form fields: Full name; Email; ZIP code; County (optional); Leave this empty. Submit it on the web page.
### Thank you. Now help Dare climb.
Share this page with two friends in the county, then [email your state legislators](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Dare). It takes about three minutes.
## Share Dare's page
Every signer you bring in moves Dare up the board.
Share Dare's page
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## Dare County's shelter picture
What Dare County's reporting shelters told the state about dogs and cats in 2025. [Compare Dare with the other reporting counties](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-county-shelter-report/#the-full-county-table-all-65-reporting-counties).
1,089
Dogs and cats taken in
798
Adopted out
114
Returned to owners
70
Euthanized
6.4%
Euthanized, share of intake (statewide 26.0%)
Source: [NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2025 CY Public Animal Shelter Report](https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws/Fix/reports) (file replaced October 12, 2026). Dogs and cats, all reporting shelters combined.
## Low-cost spay/neuter in Dare County
[Dare County on the coverage map](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-spay-neuter-coverage/#county-dare) · [Search by ZIP code](https://ncpetproject.org/get-help/)
- [Coastal Humane Society](https://obxcoastalhumanesociety.org/about-us/#howhelp) Assistance [(252) 261-7417](tel:+12522617417) Cost-sharing program with veterinary partners
- [Feline Hope Animal Shelter](http://felinehope.org) Assistance Sponsors monthly low-cost spay/neuter clinics, Outer Banks
- Friends of Felines- Cape Hatteras Island [(252) 995-4725](tel:+12529954725)
Checked October 2026. Call before you go.
## What the petition asks for
In 2025, North Carolina's reporting public shelters euthanized 39,202 dogs and cats, 26.0% of the animals they took in ([NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services](https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws/Fix/reports)). The state spay/neuter program paid $250,954 against $659,626 in eligible county requests. The petition calls on the North Carolina General Assembly to:
1. Create a dedicated, self-sustaining spay/neuter fund, similar to Maryland's pet food registration fee, which pet food companies pay for each dog and cat food product registered in the state.
2. Increase the state appropriation to the Spay/Neuter Account so it can meet county demand.
3. Enforce shelter reporting under G.S. 19A-65 so every county files a complete report on time.
4. Strengthen breeder oversight. Today North Carolina licenses only dealers who sell to pet shops, other dealers or research facilities. Breeders who sell directly to the public currently need no license at all.
[Sign for Dare County](#sign)
## Who represents Dare County
2 NC House members and 1 state senator have districts that include all or part of Dare County. You have one of each: [enter your address](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Dare) to find yours and send a ready-to-edit letter.
### NC House
- [Rep. Edward C. Goodwin](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/744) Republican · District 1
- [Rep. Keith Kidwell](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/749) Republican · District 79
### NC Senate
- [Sen. Jerry Tillett](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/1003) Republican · District 1 · Appointed 9/3/26
[Email your legislators](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Dare)
## Dare County in the news
- Outer Banks Voice · July 2, 2025
[OBX SPCA maintains ‘no-kill’ shelter status](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2025/07/02/obx-spca-maintains-no-kill-shelter-status/)
The open admission Dare County Animal Shelter, run by the Outer Banks SPCA, saved over 90% of its dogs and cats in 2024 and says it never euthanizes for space.
- Outer Banks Voice · April 18, 2025
[SPCA issues new alert about raccoons and Canine Distemper Virus](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2025/04/18/spca-issues-new-alert-about-raccoons-and-canine-distemper-virus/)
After several calls about sick raccoons in Colington and Manteo, the county shelter urged owners to vaccinate dogs against distemper and keep them leashed away from wildlife.
## Dare County champions
**Help Dare climb the board: become its county champion.** Champions share the page, bring in signers and keep their county's numbers moving.
[Become Dare's champion](https://ncpetproject.org/volunteer/?county=Dare&role=champion)
## Where to share it in Dare
Every group has its own rules. Read them before posting, and share the county numbers, not just a link. Some groups do not allow petition or survey posts.
- [Outer Banks SPCA](https://www.facebook.com/outerbanksspca) Pets and animals 10.2K followers (Oct 2026) Official page of the nonprofit that runs the Dare County Animal Shelter in Manteo.
## Dare County share kit
For shelters, rescues, clinics and anyone posting about Dare County. The images show Dare's place on the board right now, so download fresh ones before each post. The website version updates by itself.
**Facebook and Instagram post**Square image, 1080 by 1080. [Download image](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/dare-square.png?download=1)
**Link preview and website**Wide image, 1200 by 630. It is also what shows when this page's link is shared. [Download image](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/dare-wide.png?download=1)
**Put it on your website**Paste this into any page. It shows Dare's live place on the board with a sign button, updated every time the page loads. Sites that block scripts show the live image instead.
Copy code
**Post text**Ready to paste with either image. Edit it to sound like you. Dare County shelters took in 1,089 dogs and cats in 2025 and euthanized 6.4% of them. Sign the NC spay/neuter petition for Dare and help it climb the county leaderboard. It takes 30 seconds: https://ncpetproject.org/counties/dare/ Copy text
## Neighboring counties
- [Currituck County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/currituck/)
- [Hyde County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/hyde/)
- [Tyrrell County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/tyrrell/)
[All 100 counties on the leaderboard](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/)
## Questions
### How is Dare County's rank worked out?
Every signature counts for the county the signer chooses on the form, or the county of their ZIP code if they leave it blank. The board ranks counties two ways: by total signatures, and by signatures per 10,000 residents (US Census estimates, 2024), so a small county can lead too. Ties on one measure are broken by the other. The numbers on this page come from the same live count as the [leaderboard](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/#county-leaderboard).
### I live near the Dare County line. Which county should I pick?
Pick the county you live in. The form starts on Dare County, and if your ZIP code belongs to another county it offers to switch, so your signature counts where you live.
### Where do the shelter numbers come from?
From the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2025 Public Animal Shelter Report (the version the state posted on October 12, 2026, which its page still labels "As of 7.27.26"), which counties file under G.S. 19A-65. They cover dogs and cats only, with every reporting shelter in the county added together. The [county shelter report](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-county-shelter-report/) explains the data and its gaps.
### Do the Dare County legislators listed here all represent me?
No. The list is every NC House member and state senator whose district includes all or part of Dare County, from the NC General Assembly's county representation list. You have one of each. [Enter your address](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Dare) to find yours and send them a ready-to-edit letter.
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NC Pet Project works to end pet overpopulation in North Carolina through better laws and low-cost spay/neuter access. Low-cost help by ZIP code: https://ncpetproject.org/get-help/ . Contact: info@ncpetproject.org
